The Amber Alert system has been used nationally since 1996 to help find children who could be in danger. The goal of an Amber Alert is to notify the public to help assist in the search for and the safe recovery of a child.

Each state follows specific guidelines to determine when an Amber Alert will be issued. The program is administered by different agencies in each state, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Amber Alert plans differ across the country. Here in Louisiana, the Amber Alert program is administered by Louisiana State Police and became operational in 2002.

LSP reminds residents that the state's Amber Alert program is not applicable to every situation, it is not used for every missing child and it is not designed for custodial conflicts. The Amber Alert program also is not the only resource used when children go missing. During instances that do not meet Amber Alert criteria, LSP issues a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Advisory.

He said since Louisiana began using the Amber Alert program, there have been 15 activations, which have helped successfully recover missing children. Manale said the process of determining when to issue an Amber Alert begins with local law enforcement.

Manale said local law enforcement agencies may receive reports of missing children that could meet the criteria, which are forwarded to the state's Amber Alert coordinator to examine the case and make a determination.

Once an Amber Alert is activated, residents will begin seeing messages statewide through their televisions, radios, cellphones, social media and messaging boards on interstates. In addition, only LSP can issue Amber Alerts.

Manale said the state's strict guidelines are based off of recommendations from the U.S. Department of Justice. He said it's important for LSP to follow the guidelines and not issue Amber Alerts for every missing child because the majority of cases involve runaways or parental or custodial disputes.

Louisiana residents who want to learn more about the state's Amber Alert program can find more information online. Residents can view the full criteria, process and alternatives to Amber Alert cases in Louisiana.